The Cement museum

Slemmestad Cement Museum is to be found in the building that previously housed the “Sack Factory” in the centre of Slemmestad. The museum was opened in 1991.
The museum provides an overview of 100 years of development and change within the cement production industry. The factory dominated the lives of the inhabitants of Slemmestad. Photographs, exhibits, ledgers and an archive illustrate this vanished way of life.

Slemmestad was an agricultural area in 1888 when a German-Swedish company became interested in the limestone deposits to be found in the region. The company bought farmland in order to start cement production.
Norwegian business interests took over the company, and in 1892 Aktieselskapet Christiania Portland Cementfabrikk (CPC) was established. The factory provided the foundation for the industrial community Slemmestad. More than 580 persons were employed at the factory in 1920. In addition, 120 men were employed at the limestone quarry at Langøya. Housing, a school, public baths, a church and a sports arena were sponsored by the factory for its workers.  This was done in close cooperation with voluntary organisations and the Slemmestad Arbeiderforening (trade union) which was established in 1896.

Slemmestad was the only cement factory in Norway for the next 25 years, and Slemmestad became synonymous with cement.

The three cement factories in Norway merged in 1968, and the company became known as Norcem. Production in Slemmestad was closed down in 1989. Some of the employees formed a foundation called Cementmuseets venner (The Friends of the Cement Museum). The members of the foundation were very active in building up the museum.

The archive consists of approximately 60 shelf metres about CPC, covering the period from 1892-1968.

The museum is located with the public library and is owned by Røyken Council.
Opening hours: as for the library.

Excavator/loader
The machine is situated outside the Cement Museum.
The excavator is made of wood and was powered by electricity. It was  manufactured by Menck & Hambrock in 1926.

The crane was purchased in 1927, and was in use in the limestone quarry at Langøya until 1955. In 1992 the excavator was transported from Langøya to Slemmestad with assistance from the NVE (The Norwegian Water Resouces and Energy Directorate).

When it was positioned in its new location, The Friends of the Cement Museum restored the excavator

For more information send e-mail to  Liv Holmesland